Once reserved for high-end projects, Back Contact solar technology is now ready for the mainstream.
AIKO’s latest Back Contact (BC) solar panels promise higher efficiency, higher durability, better aesthetics – and mass-market affordability.
By stripping away complexity and slashing material costs, AIKO has made the new solar architecture viable at scale.
Back Contact in plain language
BC’s appeal has always been straightforward: no front busbars mean no optical shading, more light absorbed, and more current generated. With stronger passivation on the rear, lower resistive losses, and better thermal behaviour, the result is a design with major efficiency potential.
But those same strengths come with weaknesses. Traditional BC manufacturing required precision alignment across multiple complex steps, expensive photolithography processes, and wafer quality standards that made mass production a pipe dream. With heavy reliance on volatile silver pricing, the technology could only survive in niche, high-margin projects.
While much of the industry has made incremental improvements to Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) and Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) architectures, AIKO saw an opportunity to rewrite the rules entirely.
“AIKO isn’t here to copy what already exists,” says Thomas Bywater, AIKO Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand.
“Our role is to set the pace – delivering technology that doesn’t just redefine efficiency but makes the industry’s best architecture accessible and affordable at scale.”
Breakthroughs in manufacturing
AIKO’s patented self-masked two-step passivation process has revolutionised BC cell production. By independently optimising the p-type and n-type tunnelling oxide and poly-Si layers, AIKO achieves world-leading passivation quality and greater than 27 per cent cell efficiency in mass production. The streamlined process reduces contamination risks, boosts yield and removes scalability barriers.
Perhaps more transformative is AIKO’s complete elimination of silver from the manufacturing process. While traditional panels have relied heavily on this scarce metal, AIKO has developed a proprietary copper interconnection system that delivers superior performance at a fraction of the cost.
“Copper actually is a better conductor,” says Bywater.
“So you don’t need as many solar cells and glass to make the equivalent amount of power.”
Beyond technical advantages, the shift to copper delivers strategic supply chain resilience. With silver prices experiencing significant volatility in recent years, copper’s abundance and price stability enable sustainable scaling without commodity risk.
Why now?
AIKO’s breakthrough arrives at a critical inflection point. Rising energy costs, grid instability, and the push for energy independence have made high-performance solar more valuable than ever for homes and businesses.
AIKO has expanded its impact across the entire energy ecosystem. Homeowners can generate more power from limited rooftop space, accelerating payback periods. For developers, EPCs, and commercial buyers, this represents the first viable path to premium performance without premium penalties – delivering measurable advantages in project IRR, land utilisation, and long-term asset value.
According to Bywater, putting “high tech into the hands of everyday Australians” helps homes and businesses generate more from the same space – and take more control of their energy costs.
Raising the bar
AIKO’s achievement extends far beyond a single product breakthrough. By proving back contact can be manufactured at scale and priced competitively with mainstream alternatives, the company has reset expectations across the entire industry.
At the same time, much of the solar industry has been slow to move. Many manufacturers have been focusing on datasheet wattage and lab-only claims of innovation. Panels got bigger, numbers on paper went up, but the underlying technology barely changed.
“A lot of the manufacturers have been resting on their laurels… They’re not going to be able to keep doing that,” Bywater says.
The market has responded decisively. Industry analysts now project back contact architectures will dominate global solar production by 2030, with capacity forecasts reaching one terawatt. Manufacturers previously committed to TOPCon and heterojunction technologies are accelerating their own BC development programs.
All Energy Australia and the Road Ahead
AIKO will be showcasing its latest tech at All Energy Australia, including both black and white variants of its Infinite 3S and 3P panels, as well as a new 60-cell, 520-watt 2P module.
“We really encourage you to come have a look, come have a chat with our people,” Bywater says. “Record an interview for your solar business and show your expertise in doing your due diligence.”
He’s also hoping to see real discussions around stewardship and quality.
“We’ve got to really get behind recycling and stewardship. It’s going to be a painful transition… but if each panel has that same cost, no one’s disadvantaged,” he says.
By transforming back contact from laboratory curiosity to market reality, AIKO has elevated expectations across the solar industry. The company believes that innovation, scaled affordably and reliably, is now the proven path forward.